Train crash in Egypt leaves 20 injured

CAIRO — A locomotive crashed into the tail of a passenger train bound for Cairo in southern Egypt on Sunday, injuring several people, authorities said. This is the second train accident in a month in this North African country.

The collision occurred in Minya province, 270 kilometers south of Cairo, the railway authority said in a statement, and two carriages fell into an adjacent river. The causes of the accident are currently under investigation, the press release added.

Images broadcast by local media showed the two cars partially submerged in the river.

The Health Ministry said in a separate statement that at least 20 people had been hospitalized.

Train derailments and accidents are common in Egypt, where an aging rail system is plagued by poor management. In September, two passenger trains collided in a Nile Delta town, killing at least three people.

In recent years, the government has announced initiatives to improve its railways. President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said in 2018 that around 250 billion Egyptian pounds, or $8.13 billion, would be needed to properly renovate the neglected railway network.